Looming Sequester Likely to Impact Funding for International Family Planning

Unless Congress acts to head them off, automatic budget cuts will go into effect on March 1 as a result of sequestration. The much-debated sequester would cut $85.3 billion from this year's budget and $1.2 trillion from the budget over the next 10 years. These cuts would have a major impact on all discretionary spending. According to Secretary of State Kerry the proposed cuts would eliminate $400 million from USAID's global health funding. Included in this cut would be an estimated $30 million reduction in international family planning assistance.

Cutting $30 million from international family planning funding would mean that: